


Monica, not Phoebe

by Starjargon



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Divergence - Captain America: The Winter Soldier, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Natasha Romanov Bingo 2020, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha just realised she's in like with Steve, Oblivious Natasha Romanov, Romance, Sharon Carter Is a Good Bro, Slightly - Freeform, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Women Being Nice to Women, i don't know how to tag this one, no bashing here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starjargon/pseuds/Starjargon
Summary: Steve asked the Nurse across the hall out.  Now he needs Natasha's help to prepare for his date.Natasha just realised something about Steve. He's pretty dateable.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers (mentioned), Sharon Carter & Natasha Romanov, Sharon Carter & Steve Rogers, Sharon Carter/Sam Wilson (mentioned), Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers (Mentioned), Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov (Mentioned) - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80
Collections: Natasha Bingo





	Monica, not Phoebe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flayjunior20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flayjunior20/gifts), [mylittleficlet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylittleficlet/gifts).



> Written for Natasha Romanov Bingo N-5: Meddling Best Friends  
> Title inspired by FRIENDS  
> Bold italics is Steve, Italics is Natasha.
> 
> Dedicated to flayjunior20 & mylittleficlet for your helpful & kind comments on the other fic.

Natasha answered the ringing phone.

**_You were right, Nat. Sharon is very nice! She and I talked, and she didn’t even laugh when I told her how long it’s been since I’ve been out on a date. She’s arranged everything for tonight since all the places I know went out of business 50 years ago. Only now…_ **

_No backing out of this, Steve! You promised me you would stop living in the past and go out on a date and make a human connection with a nice girl and have some kind of life outside Captain America._

She insisted quickly, thrilled for her friend and afraid he would make a mess of it. At least now she understood why Sharon had asked her if she wouldn’t mind looking into some data since she herself was going to be busy tonight.

**_No, I know. I- just what am I supposed to wear for this thing? So, I don’t end up looking like a fossil._ **

The anxiety in his voice was clear, and it made her roll her eyes fondly at him.

_Just be yourself, Rogers. That’s who she wants to go out with._

**‘Just myself’ _never seemed to be very popular._ **

Natasha was never one to dwell in the past, but that did make her ache for her friend.

_You told me about Ms. Carter._

**_Peggy was an exception to every rule._ **

_And you think your_ amazing _date tonight isn’t?_

**_Her- yes. Me, I’m just a jerk from Brooklyn who doesn’t know when to quit._ **

_Mmm. But have you looked in a mirror lately? Look up ‘arm candy.’ But it won’t matter, Steve. She’ll see what Bucky and Erskine and Peggy saw and what all those girls who looked past you didn’t._

**_I know, but… she’s so out of my league._ **

She’d known Sharon for a couple of years now, and knew she would be good for Steve, so she couldn’t figure out why hearing that made something in her chest hurt. She took a deep breath. She could analyse feelings later (or not.) Right now, Steve had called, and he needed her.

_True._

They both chuckle as they process this. Steve’s entire wardrobe is laid out on his bed, save the uniform. He’s excited and nervous and intimidated and flushed whenever he remembers every other time he tried to talk to women. He had confided to Nat that he had spent his life waiting for the right girl to come along, and then when she did they’d missed their time, save for a passionate kiss for luck and a few tender and bittersweet kisses they’d shared when they first found out the other was still alive. But now, Peggy’s life has been lived and he has been too terrified to move on.

Until now. Until Natasha, who was always right, told him to call the nurse across the hall, who was sweet and understanding and laughed at his utter hopelessness and saw what her bumbling neighbour couldn’t articulate for himself. And now he was preparing for a date with a woman who he really didn’t regret taking chances for, who he was comfortable around, and who he was anxious to impress as himself- as Steve, not “The First Avenger: Captain America.” Hence his current predicament.

**_I can’t let her get away too, Nat._ **

He sounded so earnest and sincere. Natasha took a deep breath, pushing down that small, painful feeling that was trying to resurface once again.

_Okay- you trust me, Rogers?_

**_I do._ **

She smiled, touched at having Steve’s faith.

_Navy denim button up, roll the sleeves up midway, don’t be afraid to show off your arms. Dark khaki slacks and black leather jacket- that way you’re wearing what makes you comfortable while still looking nice._

**_Okay. Got it. No tie?_ **

_Know where you’re going?_

**_Dinner at the Harbour._ **

_No tie, and you can take a walk along the waterfront afterwards._

**_Flowers?_ **

_Just don’t go overboard._

**_Chocolate?_ **

_Save it for next time._

**_Okay._ **

She heard him moving around his apartment, followed by the sound of him grabbing his keys.

_You’ll be fine._

**_First date since World War II, Nat._ **

She could still hear the trepidation in his voice.

 _You’re still the same great guy you were then, Steve. The same man who does what’s right even when he does it alone. Who looks for the good in people when they don’t deserve it. The one who would fight his best friend and then fight_ for _his best friend. Who trusted me when you didn’t know who you could trust. You made a Black Widow befriend you just by being_ you, and _you have the most amazingly dry sense of humour this side of the Atlantic. She’ll see that, Steve. It’s who you are._

Steve looked at himself in the mirror, trying to see what Nat was describing to him. He truly felt undeserving of her faith, but he would do his best to prove himself worthy of it.

**_Thanks, Nat._ **

****

Natasha breathed a sigh of relief, and she smiled a small, heartbroken smile, hoping her voice wouldn’t give her away as realisation hit her square in the face.

_It’s all true, Rogers._

She shook her head to clear it; she could fall apart once she hung up.

_Now, go, have a good time, don’t stay out too late, make sure the lady treats you right._

Steve laughed loudly at her teasing.

**_What would I do without you?_ **

_Probably stay at home quietly thinking of ways to add more weight on your shoulders._

**_Yeah…_ **

He cleared his throat.

**_I’ll call you later._ **

Somehow that made her upset. She shook her head forcefully even though he couldn’t see it.

_Okay, talk to you then._

Natasha hung up before her voice could give her away. She took a few deep breaths and found herself suddenly trying not to hate Agent 13. She looked around her apartment, and for the first time in a long time hated how lonely the silence seemed. Nervous energy burned through her, the kind that could only be calmed with a good fight or a drastic new identity. After ensuring her computer would continue sifting through the information Sharon had asked her to get, she decided she couldn’t sit still in her current mood.

She went into her bathroom, taking out her curling iron, styling products, and scissors and started cutting with the skill of a woman who did this often. When she was satisfied with her work, she took as shower, applied darker makeup than she’d been favouring recently, and a threw on a stunning dress, debating who she would be tonight.

If she could get into the right card game, she could potentially start that fight she’s been itching for. Pretending to be an aide at the right party would let her have some fun snooping into different Senators’ secrets. Or, she realised as she thought of Steve’s heartbroken face every time his best friend came up, she could do some more digging, and work her way through local remnants of Hydra to try to find information on Bucky Barnes.

Perhaps Sam would want to join her on her search for trouble, and his easy-going nature would distract her from wishing she was with-

She was verifying her computer’s progress, pulling on a coat when her doorbell rang. She glanced at the security screen, opening the door with a confused expression to see Sharon on the other side.

“What are you doing here?” Natasha probed, wondering what Sharon had done with Steve.

“Oh, I was just wanted to check on the progress of that data I sent you.” Natasha still didn’t understand what was happening, and that made her wary.

“The program I set on it is nearly done sifting through everything. Then we’ll have a clearer picture of what we’re dealing with.”

“Excellent,” Sharon exclaimed, pushing her way inside. 

“I thought you had plans tonight,” Natasha accused, reaching for one of the knives in her thigh sheath.

“I did,” Sharon nodded, staring at the status of her data currently on Natasha’s computer. She pulled out a thumb drive, transferring the decoded data onto it.

“With Steve,” Natasha reminded, analysing the best way to attack.

“Steve,” Sharon said, shaking her head with a fond smile, pulling out the drive and heading toward the door. “You know, he actually came over and asked me out?”

Natasha stared, not liking the laughter in Sharon’s voice, even if she couldn’t hear any malice.

“Poor guy. He had no idea.”

“No idea about what?”

Natasha assessed Sharon’s movements, looking for any sign of a threat, knowing the other woman’s abilities rivalled her own. The sound of a knock at her door and Sharon’s evident glee gave her pause, and Natasha realised Sharon seemed to be expecting someone else.

“That the only person he should be asking out was you.”

Suddenly, Sharon was opening Natasha’s door, and Steve was standing there nervously, his face a bright crimson as he held out a small bouquet to… Natasha.

“Hey, Nat.”

From the corner of her eye, Natasha saw Sharon grin widely as she pranced out, but she had other things to worry about right now.

“Steve, what-?”

“I told you Sharon was nice. And perceptive. Apparently, when I tried to ask her out, I talked about you so much she realised something I should have seen long ago. It’s you, Nat. I don’t want anyone else. Not Kristen from Statistics, not Lillian from Accounting.” He smiled his bashful, _“I know I’m a dork but I’m hopin’ that’s okay_ ” smile at her. “Not the nurse who lives across the way. Just you.”

She watched him, holding all her emotions in while she tried to process what he was saying.

“So, tonight-“

“Was a set up. Sharon arranged everything. Promised to keep you busy until I could come pick you up.” He looked at her ensemble with a smirk and gave a familiar shake of his head. “Wasn’t expecting you to look like this.”

She remembered her get up and was suddenly thankful her jealousy had prompted her to change out of the ratty old t-shirt and shorts she’d liberated from Clint’s possession.

Still…

“But, you said you were getting ready-“

“For my date. Who was amazing. Out of my league. Exceptional.” He moved forward with each word, willing her to believe him. “I started having doubts earlier, but then you… I was hoping you wouldn’t mind dating an old soldier who doesn’t know how to have a life,” he finished awkwardly.

Natasha replayed their conversation in her head. His nervousness. His desire to make sure everything was _just_ right. Even the clothes he wore. All for her. She was speechless for a moment, then she processed everything that had led to tonight, and looked at her very (cute) nervous friend.

“Mm. I might mind that,” she finally answered. His demeanour fell, but she reached out and wove her fingers through his. “But I wouldn’t mind dating this guy Steve I know. Bit of a nerd. But one of the best people I know. Funny. Optimistic.” She looked up into his hopeful eyes, her lips quirking slightly. “And he’s even a superhero sometimes.”

Steve gave her hand a soft squeeze.

“I heard he makes great arm candy,” he bantered back.

They stood there for a moment longer, staring at their joint hands. Then they looked into each other’s eyes, and Steve grinned brightly.

“Do you trust me, Romanoff?”

Natasha grinned back at him, letting him lead her out into the warm night.

“I do.”

* * *

Sharon was standing under a tree in the early morning. She’d received a cryptic message a few days ago with a set of coordinates and a time. She kept her eyes open, scanning the quiet National Mall. There didn’t seem to be too many people out here this early. In fact, it was just her and an early morning runner who was coming around the bend where she stood who nodded toward her with a wide, attractive smile.

Suddenly, her communicator chirped, and she glanced down to see a short message.

_His name is Sam & he’s single._

_-N_

Sharon smiled back and started to jog.

**Author's Note:**

> I was working on another story but I had a bad day and just needed some fluff. This was half-written so it was the lucky winner!  
> Not sure how I feel about the formatting, so sorry. But bonus points if you understand the title.


End file.
